


off the races

by sincities



Category: Tiny Meat Gang (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Car Racing, F/M, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:47:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25074094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincities/pseuds/sincities
Summary: “you did it, leens. you got the racecar driver.”or noel's a racing driver and a night stop at a bar makes his stay in palm springs a little bit too long.
Relationships: Aleena/Noel Miller, Cody Ko/Kelsey Kreppel
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this for quite a while i hope you guys enjoy it <3 shoutout to my friend can for helping me understand some concepts about racing i love u
> 
> as always rpf warnings do not show this to cody, noel, aleena or kelsey (and spock) this is purely for entertainment.
> 
> (lesbians-4-kelsey on tumblr)

the roar of the crowd was thunderous in noel miller's ears. the engine rumbled beneath his seat as he waited for the green flag to drop, signaling the beginning of the race.

his left hand gripped the fixed steering wheel tight enough to whiten the flesh around his knuckles, while the right hand was poised over the gear-shift, ready to smoke and blow his tires.

his right foot tapped the gas pedal, the left holding the clutch steady, the need for sudden speed ready to spill over everywhere like a dam after a torrential flood.

three.

two.

one.

he released the emergency brake, spurring his lightning-quick, black GT86, into motion. the squealing of rubber against pavement was like sweet music to his ears, lulling him into a concentration not easily broken.

noel miller wanted this. he wanted it badly. coming in second in last month’s race had been a hard pill to swallow, and he had been picked as the favorite by the media and his sponsors.

he'd only been racing for two years and was a relative newcomer to the sport, but he’d wanted to strike quickly and make a name for himself.

the taste of defeat was foul in his mouth when he had been overtaken in the last mile. 

but not this time.

noel miller smiled to himself. this time, losing was not an option, and his victory would come. he glanced in his rearview mirror, looking for the infamous number **1** in a mustang. not fully seeing him, miller somehow still knew he was lurking in his blind spot. trying to quiet the nerves threatening to melt his brain, noel took deep breaths trying to steady himself.


	2. Chapter 2

three and a half hours and six pit stops later, noel was only nine laps from victory and revenge. he grinned to himself.

with five laps to go, noel could now see the hood of someone’s car out of his passenger window. _this should be interesting,_ noel thought, his heart beginning to beat wildly as if all the laps before these last few had been as boring as the toast he made from his sponsor’s bread.

noel didn’t waver in his strategy, but kept his focus dead ahead, aiming for that checkered flag he knew claimed the finish line.

he could see the car inching upon him, and now, with one lap to go, they were in a dead heat, bumpers aligned. noel gritted his teeth and let out a cry.

he could hear the cheers of his pit crew through the earbuds in his helmet as he crossed the finish line.

his heart nearly leaped out of his chest and he let out a relieved breath from his burning lungs as he listened to his crew celebrating the victory, though he wasn’t yet certain he had won. he pulled his car back into the parking lot designed for the racers. the crew rushed him, ceremoniously lifting him off the ground in praise, jostling him around on their shoulders and shouting excitedly.

noel could faintly hear his chief mechanic, yelling something at them. no one else seemed to hear him so he let out a long, loud whistle that demanded everyone’s attention, including the two teams on either side of them. the group set noel down, and they turned in the direction of the chief’s gaze.

all eyes turned to the giant screens located at each end of the trach. displayed in high definition for everyone to see was the photo finish, showing the bumpers of the two cars aligned so perfectly that there was no clear indication of who came out number one.

noel’s heart sank with disappointment. 

“well, well, mr. miller, that was a very nice race. too bad you aren’t taking home the trophy today.” noel turned to see the president of his competitors, mr. desmond, walking towards him, a sly grin on his face, his white hair stiff despite the warm breeze.

“thank you, sir. yes, it is a shame. maybe i will take it home next season,” noel replied, trying to be confident in the man’s presence.

he was not known for his pleasantry and kindness. he was an ambitious man, mr. desmond, and anyone who got in his way suffered the consequences.

“i doubt it.” his words caught noel off guard. the elder man smirked wickedly at the confused expression on noel’s face. “mr. miller, you are not fit to be the king of my mountain. you would do well to remember that. have a good day, now.” he walked away without a backward glance, leaving noel paralyzed at the implications of his words.


	3. Chapter 3

lounging on the comfortable hotel room bed, noel flipped on the tv, looking for a distraction from the race and needing entertainment. he'd been dozing on and off for four hours straight, and he wasn’t tired in the slightest.

nothing was on to keep his attention, so he decided to go back into the diner for a slice of the chocolate pie he had eyed on top of the counter earlier.

the bell jingled, announcing his arrival, and he made his way to the register just as the lights began to dim.

“we're closed for the night,” the waitress called out to him.

“oh shit, sorry. i didn’t know,” was noel’s reply.

“it's on the door. i assume you can read?” she said, continuing to walk toward the exit, shutting off lights as she went. noel glanced back at the door, just barely able to make out the tiny lettering of the restaurant’s hours.

“yeah, but it’s kinda hard to see. i just wanted a slice of that chocolate pie i saw earlier,” noel defended. the waitress looked him up and down as if she was trying to decide something.

“you're not from around here.” her words were a statement rather than a question.

“uh, no,” noel pushed his hands into his pockets and pursed his lips, confirming what she already knew.

“you lookin’ for a good time?” she asked with a glint of mischief in her eyes. the look on noel’s face must have told her he’d taken her question the wrong way. “i’m not a prostitute,” she told him, a smile mimicking her mischievous eyes. she blew a bubble of pink gum and popped it.

“i'm goin’ over to the bar. if you want chocolate, they’ve got a mean chocolate martini. it might help your chocolate craving.”

noel thought for a moment. he wasn’t tired, and he would surely make it back to the trailer by the time everyone left in the morning. maybe he just needed a night to meet some new people and relax a bit with some beers and a game of pool. “alright. lead the way.” he accepted her vague invitation by opening the door for her and waiting patiently while she locked up.

“name’s kelsey, but people round here call me kels,” she said as they walked around the corner to a shack that looked abandoned.

“im noel. it’s nice to meet you, kels,” he said.

“kelsey,” she corrected him. “you're not from around here.” noel laughed, hoping she was making a joke.

kelsey ignored him, opened the door and stepped aside for noel to see the dim lighting and music, and hear the faint sound of pool balls knocking into each other.

he grabbed the door up high and motioned for kelsey to go in ahead of him. “ladies first.”

“thank you,” kelsey said in a fake southern accent, clearly mocking his polite gestures. noel grinned.

there were only a handful of people noel could see, two, young guys, who looked like they’d used fake ids to get into the bar, were doing a crappy job of sinking the balls at the pool table, an older man stood behind them, a concentrated look on his face. noel wasn’t much for noticing other men, but if he had to admit a guy was handsome, it would be the bartender. noel guessed he got whoever he wanted into his bed with ease.

a cute girl with wavy brown hair and killer cleavage peeking through her v-neck was seated at the bar, stirring a mixed drink with a straw. her jean-clad legs were crossed, and noel thought he might have a fun night after all.

“natalie,” kelsey said in greeting to the girl.

“hey, kels,” kelsey greeted her back. “how was work?”

“the usual. well, except for this one here,” kelsey replied as she hooked her thumb in noel’s direction.

“are you going to introduce us?” natalie asked her friend. her smile was pretty and her eyes were bright and green.

“natalie, noel. noel, natalie,” kelsey unceremoniously stated, never looking from one to the other.

“it's nice to meet you, noel.” natalie extended her hand, and noel took it, noting the smoothness of her skin and her manicured nails.

“nice to meet you, too,” he responded.

“hey! vodka cranberry,” she ordered, earning a gruff look and snort from the bartender, who seemed to be eyeing noel suspiciously. kelsey turned to noel. “my friend would like a…?” she trailed off, raising her voice in question.

“i’ll take a honey badger.”

“we don’t have any of that stuff here, city boy. it's vodka or vodka light,” the bartender replied to him. noel winced at his two choices.

“i'll have what she’s having.” he pointed to kelsey.

he took a seat next to natalie and listened as the two women made small talk, trying to ignore the stares he felt directed at him from the bartender.

“you waiting for leens?” kelsey asked her friend.

“yes. she said she’d be here in about five,” natalie answered, taking a sip of her drink. noel thought it was cute the way her pinky stuck out when she raised the glass to her lips. he could do a lot worse.

forty minutes and three vodka cranberries later, noel was feeling freer and more relaxed than he had been in a long time.

the two guys playing pool had abandoned the table, making their way up to the bar, and in their absence, natalie had challenged him to a round and was currently wiping the floor with him.

kelsey stayed at the bar, in conversation with the bartender, whose name noel had learned was cody. noel eyed the girl every now and then, getting a feel for the kind of conversation she was having with cody. he didn’t feel particularly jealous or anything, just curious about what their relationship might be.

noel leaned over the table, trying to find a good angle for the solid yellow ball that just didn’t want to fall in. concentration was interrupted as the door swung open, then slammed closed, bringing a rush of warm wind with it.

“sorry i'm late, guys!” noel heard a sultry, feminine voice say, and he realized it must be the girl kelsey and natalie had been waiting for. “my boss asked me to wash the engine of his stupid piece of crap before i left. like washing the engine is going to magically make it not shit,” she said, scoffing as she sat down.

the small bar allowed noel to hear everyone’s conversations. his ears perked up at the way this girl was talking about cars, something he had loved all his life.

placing the end of his pool stick on the floor and leaning into it for support, noel looked in the direction of the voices. his heart, feeling like it had suddenly started beating for the first time.

“hey, leens,” the bartender said to her with a smile noel hadn’t known he was capable of producing.

he couldn’t see her face, but if the front was better than the back, god help him, he was a goner. her hair, long against her back, was slightly wet, and little wisps of it were curling down around her neck. noel watched in fascination as kelsey reached up to remove a small piece of lint from some of the strands.

her red, tight shirt was cinched around her waist, allowing a fantastic view of her ass, which her tight, denim jeans hugged beautifully. her camel-colored work boots, laced over the ankle, the kind he would wear if he were working on his car, gave away a very important, and very attractive quality about her.

“you good?” noel snapped his eyes back over to kelsey, her face a mixture of discernment and humor. “dude, your jaw was on the floor,” she cackled as she rubbed chalk on the cue end of her pool stick.

noel looked back in the direction of the beautiful girl to find her looking straight back at him. she quickly glanced away as soon as he made eye contact, going back to her conversation with cody, who glanced his way not long after her friend had. from what he could tell in the quick exchange, her face was pretty, but he wouldn’t mind getting a closer look.

“you wanna meet her?” kelsey asked him.

“who?” noel said, not looking at her and continuing to stare in the newcomer’s direction.

“um, the girl you’re about to obliterate with your heat vision, maybe?” kelsey noted sarcastically.

noel looked at kelsey with disbelief. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.” he cleared his throat as the last syllable caught, causing his voice to crack. kelsey laughed, quieter this time.

“you are so obvious,” she said, shaking her head at him. “come on, i'll introduce you. it's not like you weren’t going to meet her tonight anyway,” she shrugged. “you're with me, and she’s my friend.”

noel followed kelsey back to the bar, wedging herself in between the two girls and turning to face noel. “aleena, this is my new friend, noel. noel, this is aleena.”

“hey, aleena,” noel said in his most confident, practiced voice. he held his hand out to her. she looked down at it, and then back to his face.

her long lashes drew his gaze to her eyes. she didn't have any makeup on, and her perfect skin glowed despite the dimness of the room. he couldn’t look away and barely noticed that she didn’t shake his hand as he dipped it into his pocket, a nervous habit. but he definitely wanted to touch her. the staring contest ended when aleena’s eyes flitted away.

they talked casually, trying to include aleena every now and then, who seemed to want to keep to herself. she gave some brief glances at him here and there, and after a few beers, noel noticed she appeared to be loosening up, judging by the way the stares she sent his way became longer.

“so, noel, what brings you to palm springs?” she asked him, her eyes glowing with curiosity. he noticed her eyes didn’t quite meet his, landing somewhere slightly lower when he took a sip of his drink.

“just passing through town, on my way to beverly hills,” he answered.

“beverly hills?”

noel sensed her curiosity rise further, and her eyes finally met his. he nodded his head.

“you like cars, then?” she continued the conversation.

“ever since i was a kid. i've always been rebuilding and driving,” he admitted. they stayed on the topic of cars for a while, talking about everything from paint jobs to horsepower, and noel thought he caught aleena relay a suggestive remark about engine sizes.

she even laughed at one of his jokes. noel delivered the punch line with a straight face, waiting to laugh until he knew she thought it was funny. aleena chuckled and slapped him playfully on the arm. she immediately apologized, saying it was a harder slap than she meant to give, but he didn’t care. any touch from aleena was welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

more people had entered the little bar during the course of the night, making it seem even smaller, if that was possible, and very warm. the three of them made it back over to the pool table, followed by cody, who had just ended his shift. aleena’s chest was pushed flush against noel’s when a group of people scooted by in the tight spot between them and the wall. she was so close he could smell the cherry scent on her skin and hair. 

he looked down at her, her skin flushed from the heat, noticing a small bead of sweat trailing down her chest, _dear god_ , he thought to himself as he lifted his eyes, to keep from becoming very excited very quickly in front of what was probably the entire town, and aleena being pressed up against him like that wasn’t helping, at all.

as the crowd moved away from the pool tables, the group found a little space to move in. “you’re up,” noel remarked to his teammate. they paired off so they all could play, noel with aleena, and kelsey with cody.

“this is going to be a tough one,” aleena noted as she spied the ball she needed to sink, buried behind three others. she wobbled slightly, making her way around the table, probably because of the six beers she had consumed. he observed with attention as aleena took aim at the ball. she pulled the stick back and missed completely, striking nothing but air.

“a little help, partner,” she said, looking to noel. 

he walked around the table, more than happy to be the one she asked for assistance. aleena stayed positioned for another try, and noel wasted no time leaning over her toned body, glistening from the heat of the room and the drinks she’d consumed, to reach around and settle his arms on top of hers.

he guided her movements so they were in sync with his, running the stick back and forth slowly over their joined fingers. noel felt aleena suck in a breath as he rubbed his thumb over hers, testing the texture of her warm skin on his. 

just as he was about to push the stick into the white ball, aleena rose off the table, pushing noel off of her. he stumbled backwards a little.

“i’m sorry, did i- was i hurting you?” noel asked quietly.

“no, you’re just,” she takes a deep, shaky breath. “it’s warm in here, that’s all,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck, her face red with either heat or embarrassment. “and i’m not very good at pool. maybe you should just play on your own.”

“okay, well, i can help you.” noel said, but it came out more like a question, trying to gain her trust.

“let him help you, leens.” aleena rolled her eyes, and noel could see kelsey’s eyes waggle suggestively at aleena.

“i don’t really feel like playing right now,” aleena said, turning to leave. noel caught her arm, and she jerked at the touch. she eyed him with an intensity noel couldn’t place. she looked like she either wanted to kill him, or kiss him.

so he let go. and she disappeared from the crowd of people.


	5. Chapter 5

noel’s partner, spock, entered the trailer, calling out to let noel know he was inside. eyeing noel’s phone on the end table but seeing no sign of him in the small room, he desperately knocked on the bathroom door, fear growing quickly. no answer from the other side sent him into alarm, and he opened the unlocked door. nothing.

he walked back outside, bypassing his manager, to check the carrier compartment where noel’s car was stored, a very avid mr. desmons following close behind him.

“is mr. miller absent?” he said, hands crossed behind his back, his eyes glaring down.

spock did not reply, instead, he went back in the trailer into the trailer, calling anxiously for noel. in a state of shock, he exited the trailer.

“i don’t know what happened,” he spoke to himself.

“i take it he is not with you, then?” mr. desmond asked.

“last i saw him, he went into the trailer. told me he’d call if he needed something,” he ran through the events from two nights ago out loud.

“so you’re saying mr. miller is missing?” 

“i don’t know,” spock replied, confusion evident in his voice and actions. “i’ll head back to palm springs and-”

“no need,” mr. desmond dismissed the idea. i’ll take care of it. he will be found."

spock sensed something in his eyes that seemed pleased with noel’s disappearance. he wasn't sure he could trust the man, but he didn’t want a chance to defy him either.


	6. Chapter 6

“breakfast!” noel winced as he slowly opened his eyes to the voice, the harsh daylight invading his eyes. he covered them with one hand, trying to peek through his fingers to see where he was exactly.

noel hadn’t had a headache this bad since his college days. sharp pains shot from his neck up through his skull and eyes. he reached up, and his half-closed eyes squeezed tighter when he touched the sensitive knot he found there.

the grey brick walls were no giveaway, except that he knew it wasn’t his trailer. he still didn’t fully understand his surroundings until he saw the man standing on the other side, he was a blur except for a wavy mop of brunette hair.

cody.

he walked to noel, and sat on the bottom of the bed, setting a tray of oatmeal and strong looking coffee on the skinny bed-side table next to noel’s head. “you hungry?” he said with a smile. noel sat up, spying the oatmeal and feeling his stomach turn at the sight.

“no, thanks, man.” noel shook his head slowly from left to right, trying to avoid upsetting his headache, and wrapped his arms around his belly to hold in nausea rippling through it. cody clapped him on the back and laughed, causing noel to grimace in pain.

“hey look at the bright side- you got a job,” he said, continuing to speak through his laughter. as much as noel wanted to feel better and laugh along with him, the implications of what could be happening began to manifest as the memory of the night before came back.

“what? what the fuck happened?" noel asked weakly, rubbing his palms into his eyes and trying to suppress the panic he felt.

“first of all, you’re welcome for the bed. second, i have no idea. after aleena left, you got really upset and said you couldn’t go back to racing.” cody settled himself down in a chair next to the bed and stretched his legs out in front of him. “then you offered to work with me for a while at the bar-”

“i said that?” noel yelped incredulously, looking up at cody for answers. his head swam with the motion.

“yep. you don’t want to?” cody’s smile fell a little for the first time, but it didn’t stay down for long. “hey, don’t be down on yourself. things will be okay-”

“no, no!” noel cut him off, jumping to his feet and wishing he hadn’t. “it’s okay.”

“is it?” cody asked curiously. “you can stay here for like a week, then you can leave to beverly hills, or whatever.”

“a week?” noel felt himself growing sicker by the second. “i can’t be here for one day! i have to be there in six days for press conferences, interviews, photoshoots, and sponsor commitments. i’m racing in the biggest race of this century.” noel’s chest felt like it was constricting, cutting off his airway. 

he couldn’t believe what he was hearing and had to sit back down on the bed when a rush of faintness came over him. black spots began to cloud his vision, and he felt hands gently guiding him to lay back. “just rest,” he heard cody say, giving up the struggle to remain conscious.


	7. Chapter 7

noel woke before dawn, stretching out his stiff back to prepare for his second day of work at the bar. he thought it would be easy, thought he could just lounge and chat with cody all day,maybe serve a few drinks and flirt with some locals. but it wasn't all fun and games, he got yelled at by two tall white men for messing up their drinks and all he could do was apologize in fear.

noel had hoped aleena would have come to the bar on the first day so he could talk to her, but she hadn’t. his only company was cody, who was supposed to be guarding him, but instead wanted to chat constantly about where noel was from, who he was, what he did, his family and why he wanted to race so much.

noel felt like he and cody would know almost everything about each other by the time he left. cody was a nice enough guy, a little chatty and over-enthusiastic, but it was infinitely better than spending time with anyone else.

“hey, cody,” noel started. “have you seen aleena since i’ve been here?”

“well, she works over at the tire shop.” noel smiled at cody’s words. he barely knew her but going the last two days without so much as a glimpse of her left him feeling empty and hollow, especially knowing she was so close.

“is she…” he hesitated, “does she-” noel couldn’t bring himself to ask the question that was on his mind. as much as he wanted to know the answer.

“yeah, she’s single.” cody said it like it wasn't a big deal but it was to noel. he was sure he had a chance, at least one. something about aleena made him think it wasn’t going to be as easy as bagging a groupie, though.

“kelsey and i met in the bar,” cody confessed. noel hadn’t heard much of what he said, his thoughts still on aleena. “you like leens, don’t you?” cody asked, realization dawning in his widening eyes.

“she’s nice,” noel said, looking away, suddenly feeling shy talking about his feelings. what was he gonna say? that he hadn’t stopped thinking about her since he’d first laid eyes on her? that she’d been the star of his dreams the last two nights and probably would be for every night thereafter? no, that would sound pathetic and weak. he was neither of those things.

noel went back to cleaning some tables in the back, leaving cody to himself. just then, he noticed light filtering in through the doorway as it swung open, and he rushed to cody and stood next to him casually.

“hey, leens.” cody said, giving her a small hug.

“hey bud, noel,” she greeted them with a smile. “i just came by to see if you guys needed any help.” 

she dropped her arms from across her chest and stuck them in her back pockets. noel noticed her breasts jump out a little with the action, he took a deep breath.

“i would love some,” noel said, his mood perking up instantly.

he was going to have to try real hard not to be distracted by the denim skirt that hit her mid-thigh and the white ribbed tank that wasn’t see through but fit her like a sleek glove. she was wearing her work boots again, which made her even sexier.

“i’ve always wanted to go to a race,” cody chimed in. “hey, you got an extra ticket i can have? i've been dying to see you race."

“oh, yeah?” noel tried not to frown. “i'll see what i can do."

cody smiled at the chance he might be afforded by noel. he helped for about an hour and then had to run back home to have dinner with kelsey, telling noel he trusted him enough to give him the keys and find his own way back home.

“so, what’s it like, racing cars and being famous?” aleena asked, raising her eyes at noel and biting her lower lip.

“it has its disadvantages,” he replied, trying to play down how he actually felt.

“you don’t like it?” aleena asked in disbelief. “i figured a guy like you would love the lifestyle of the rich and famous,” she said sarcastically, and poked him in the side with her broom.

“a guy like me?” noel said, aleena eyed him seriously as he spoke. “what kind of guy am i, exactly?” noel asked playfully.

“well,” she began, facing him fully and crossing her arms over her chest “you’re cocky, self-assured, overconfident, arrogant-”

“those all mean the same thing, aleena. and you hardly know me,” he protested. “so what else do you think about me?”

aleena stayed silent and noel noticed her eyes roam over him. 

“you like what you see, don’t you?” noel smirked knowingly, raising his eyebrows.

“shut up.” noel grinned at her, but it quickly died as she gave him a frown and waved a hand. “you’re just proving me right about the arrogance thing.”

“maybe you should give me a chance.” he smiled.

“maybe you should get back to work, miller, if you want to make it to the race and keep your fans happy,” aleena replied smugly, turning her back to him.

it was hard for noel to keep his eyes off of her, especially when she leaned over, and for some reason, their tense altercation made him even more attracted to her. he purposely found things to do close to where she was working and when she would move away from him he would adjust his plans, finding his way to her again.

“shit!”

noel snapped from his work when he heard aleena cry out. he was at her side in seconds, assessing her injury. “what happened?” he asked with concern, taking her hand in his and inspecting the jagged line that was forming across the length of her middle finger, a red streak gravitating towards her palm to pool in the center.

“i missed a piece of glass, and when i leaned over to pick it up, it cut me,” she replied, pulling her hand back.

“let me see,” noel urged her to give it back.

“it's fine. it just stings a little.” noel began to dig in the drawers of the bar’s counter, looking for something to clean and bind it with. 

“cody keeps a first aid kit in there,” aleena said as she pointed to a drawer at the far end of the bar. 

noel located it and began cleaning her cut. “i can do it,” aleena assured him, trying to wiggle her hand free of his grasp. he gently tightened his hold.

“it's alright,” noel responded. “i want to.”

he looked up at her as he spoke the words, her brown eyes looking for his. he couldn’t think of anything except that he wasn’t close enough to her. she cleared her throat nervously as she glanced down at her hand, reminding him of what he had been doing.

“right,” noel whispered, peeling his eyes from her face and refocusing on the wound. after a few minutes and some tender touches to bandage the cut, noel reluctantly let go of her. it was close to the end of his shift, and it was getting dark outside.

“so, i'm gonna go. it's getting kind of late,” aleena said, taking a few steps towards the door. noel panicked, not wanting her to leave.

“stay,” he blurted out. he regretted the way it sounded almost immediately, like he was desperate for human contact. “i mean, i like being around you. i've never known anyone like you.”

“noel, we’ve only known each other a few days, and you’re leaving in less than a week. it’s probably for the best if we don’t spend time together.” noel sensed disappointment in her tone.

“why not?” he asked, forcing an issue she didn’t seem to want to talk about.

“because,” she replied weakly. 

noel closed the gap she had created between them until they were just inches apart, whispering into the still of the bar. “that's not an answer, aleena.”

she closed her eyes and she took in a deep breath. noel reached up to trail his fingers across her smooth, flushed cheek. it seemed like a good a time to do what he’d been wanting to do since the night he first laid eyes on her.

noel slowly moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her neck, gently tangling his fingers in her hair. he leaned his face toward hers until their foreheads and noses were perfectly aligned and touching. “aleena,” noel breathed her name.

“mhm?” she mumbled without opening her mouth or her eyes.

“i’m going to kiss you now.”

aleena nodded her head lightly against his, and it was all the permission he needed to faintly touch his puckered lips to hers. noel lingered there for a few seconds, enjoying the feel of her mouth against his, before moving both of his hands to cup her face. he began leaving a trail of sweet kisses across her lips and cheeks, making his way down past her jawline to her neck. aleena tilted her head to the side as noel began to nurse the pulse he found there with a gentle sucking motion, extracting low, breathy groans from her.

he felt her hands grab the front of his t-shirt, and he realized he needed her closer, needed to touch more of her, kiss more of her. there didn’t seem to be an end to what he wanted to do with aleena. 

noel kissed his way back up to her lips, pressing his more firmly to hers this time. his heart leaped as she responded to his attentions, and soon their tongues were caressing each other. noel wanted to take his time exploring every inch of her mouth, and he was startled when he felt the force of aleena’s hands pushing him away.

“don't,” she said, the intensity of her eyes betraying her words.

“aleena-” noel started, trying to understand her actions.

“you're leaving. i'm not the kind of girl that does one night stands or even week-long,” she said, taking a deep breath and looking into noel’s hazel eyes. “you don’t belong here. no one ever comes to here to stay, noel.”

noel couldn’t reach out fast enough to keep her in place, she turned to leave and any words that could possibly have made her stay were caught in his throat. 

“maybe i'll see you around,” was her reply before she slipped quietly out the door.

noel stood there, unmoving and dumbfounded at what had transpired. one minute he was in heaven and the next he found himself alone in hell.

after forcing himself to finish cleaning up the trash that had been piling up, he walked across the street to cody’s place, wondering what it was going to take to get aleena to trust him. 


	8. Chapter 8

noel worked hard over the week, putting in extra long days and his week on the bar was close to being completed. he was exhausted and just wanted to lay in bed all day, counting the days until he would be able to be in his racecar again.

“hey, dude.” cody felt like family now and noel found himself looking forward to spending time with him in his apartment.

“hey, man. how’s the bar?” noel asked, his voice raspy from sleeping, all day. 

after catching up with cody and getting ready, noel decided to grab lunch at the diner. he was pleasantly surprised to find aleena there as well, chatting with kelsey about who knows what. they quieted when they heard the jingle from the doorway. he took the seat next to aleena as she eyed him suspiciously.

“what's up, ladies?” noel asked, surfing the menu even though he already knew what he wanted.

“not much. what can i get you?” kelsey asked him.

“the usual,” he said and looked over at aleena, having heard something that sounded like a snort come from her direction.

“you think you’re a regular now, miller?”

“i am. i belong here now,” he replied with a big smile, bringing up one of aleena’s arguments against seeing him. 

“we’ll see how fast you leave.” 

“give the guy a break, leens,” kelsey defended him. 

noel agreed. “yeah, _leens_ , give me a break.”

she said nothing, so noel decided he would ask her the question he’d been asking her since their _encounter_ in the bar.

“can i see you tonight?”

she had said no every time he asked, but he still insisted, and he was running out of time. he was leaving to race in two days.

“yes,” noel sucked in a surprised breath, inhaling some of his turkey sandwich down the wrong pipe. “unless you die from choking on that sandwich,” aleena said, slapping him on the back, laughing while kelsey looked at them with open bright blue eyes.

noel finally recovered. “warn me next time you do something unexpected, would you? i'd like to at least live long enough to marry you. and win a race.”

“that’s so sweet,” kelsey said, with a smile and reaching to grab aleena’s hands excitedly. “i'm excited for you two.”

aleena rose from her seat, throwing a few bills on the counter to pay for her lunch. “i'll be at the track. you can see me there,” she told noel, but before he could say anything, she slipped out the door and down the street to the tire shop.

“there's a track here?” noel asked kelsey in shock, eyes still lingering the door.

“sort of. it's our version of a track. just a dirt oval a half-mile long on land,” kelsey replied. “aleena goes out there every now and then and races the wind when she needs to think. she never invites anyone.” 

“not even you?” noel questioned in disbelief.

“no one means no one.”

noel stopped eating, leaving half his food on his plate, suddenly too excited to be hungry anymore. he hopped off the stool, wiping his face one last time with his napkin and throwing it down on the counter along with his payment and tip for kelsey. 

a tip she deserved. 

he suddenly felt he had enough energy to blow through the last of his shift at the bar, get showered and ready to meet up with aleena.

as he was about to exit the diner he heard kelsey shout behind him, “don’t mess this up!”


	9. Chapter 9

noel stood at the edge of the dirt track, unnoticed by aleena, who was leaning against a car at the other end, one leg positioned on the well of the driver’s side tire with her arms crossed over her chest. he wanted to save the view to his memory, in case he never got to have another one like this. he was leaving tomorrow after all, and even though he had some idea how aleena felt about him he had no clue what would happen between them. 

this could very well be their first and only night together.

the sun was setting behind him, casting a purple-ish, gray glow over her tanned body. her hair was down, the ends of it swaying in the gentle breeze. it was a warm, spring night and noel was already beginning to get hot and bothered. wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow, he started walking across the track to her.

on his way, he cursed himself for being too preoccupied with seeing her that he forgot to bring her something. not that there would be a flower shop or something near, but he could have gotten something, anything, to show her he cared. 

“hey. you look great,” she said, looking up to him with half-lidded eyes.

“so do you.” he said, stepping closer and trapping her between him and the car, which he noticed upon approach was a 1966 shelby cobra, the same color as aleena’s hair, and noel’s favorite car of all time. “this is my favorite car.”

“is that so?” she challenged. 

she ran her finger on noel’s chest with a grin, then lifted her head to look into his eyes. he put his hands on her hips, hoping he was doing the right thing and leaned in pressing his lips to hers. she didn’t hesitate to return his advance, and they found themselves picking up the intensity they had left in the bar days earlier.

noel pulled back, searching aleena’s eyes for confirmation that he had done the right thing. she smiled but didn’t say anything. noel leaned into her body, guiding her to settle back on the hood of the car. 

he hovered over her, planting light kisses along the thin straps of her very tiny top, earning her legs on around his hips and her fingers on the back of his neck, scratching insistently.

after for what felt like seconds, noel stood up, pulling aleena up from the hood. he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “let's see what this baby can do, shall we?”

“i thought that’s what we were doing?” she said, with lustful eyes and a giggle.

“i was talking about the car,” he answered, feeling every bit as exited as she looked. it had taken a ton of strength to pull himself away from her.

she winked at him and noel reached over to kiss her again.

aleena climbed in the driver’s seat, and with a flick of the key and a stomp on the clutch the engine roared to life. noel was impressed that she knew how to handle herself in the car, and she made a pretty good job despite the dirt track. aleena stopped the car and turned to noel.

“you wanna drive now?” she asked him, removing the seat belt.

“um, yeah,” he responded as if it was the most ridiculous question in the world. 

he hopped out and as they began to trade sides, a figure started running towards them. noel moved closer to aleena and, in a protective manner, wound his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. her small frame fits perfectly with his, he thought.

they both shielded their eyes as the man made his way over to them.

“mr. miller?” asked the man.

“yes?” he answered.

“i'm tanner, mr. desmond’s assistant. i'm so glad we found you. the fans and the press are getting restless in your absence. are you ready to go?”

a week ago, mr. desmond’s mention would have made noel jump in joy, but now it scared him. would aleena allow him to come back if he left now? could he abandon the race, disappointing all his fans and just stay here with her forever?

“mr. miller,” tanner called to him. “we need to go now. the race is tomorrow afternoon and you need to rest and be ready for interviews. follow me.”

with that, he turned and walked back to a small black har, climbing in on the driver’s seat. noel turned his whole body to face aleena and took both of her hands in his.

“you should go,” she said to him.

“what if i don’t want to go?” he said quietly. “what if i don’t want this to end?”

“did it ever really begin?” aleena’s words cut noel right across the chest.

maybe she was right. maybe there wasn’t anything going on for them. it was probably for the best that mr. desmond sent someone before they invested themselves further. noel knew he wouldn’t have been able to hold back if aleena kissed him again.

noel ran his hands up aleena’s arms, ending at her shoulders. he kissed her forehead tenderly, lingering on her skin, not wanting the dream to fade too quickly. when he pulled back he saw a lonely tear finding its way down aleena’s cheek. he wiped it away gently with his thumb, but the thought of leaving her hurting deep in his heart.

“tell cody and kelsey i said goodbye.” 

aleena nodded, and noel let her go, beginning his walk to the car. he climbed in and took a seat on the back, keeping his sight trained on the beauty before him. he wanted his memory to capture the scene and file it away forever. 


	10. Chapter 10

_"folks, this is shaping up to be one promising day in the sport of racing."_

aleena could hear the presenter's voice over the television in the bar reporting noel’s mysterious disappearance and miraculous return just before the main event.

walking into the bar earlier, aleena’s first thoughts were noel. 

he sent someone early in the morning to take cody to the track with an invitation for aleena to come with, which she declined. she didn’t want to prolong the inevitable and so she regretfully asked cody to relay her gratitude to noel when he arrived.

everyone in town had gathered at the bar, excited to see their honorary resident, noel miller, race for the regional cup. a pool table was delivered the morning after noel had left in the black car. cody hadn’t wanted to accept it, but enough people were there to talk him into it.

and now, here they were, watching the race noel would compete in, in the bar noel worked in, near the pool table noel sent. aleena could feel him everywhere and her heart ached with what could have been. she didn’t hold any grudges though. he was free doing what he loved.

aleena had tried not to let her eyes be glued to the tv, watching for any sign of noel, but she found it extremely difficult.

finally, he walked on set with his partner, in what was made out to be the interview of the year. aleena didn’t notice the open of his racing suit, or the way he would run his tongue over his bottom lip before he answered one of the questions. what she noticed was the puffy, red skin around his eyes, and the way his words had no spark in them. she noticed sadness, and apparently she wasn’t the only one.

“noel,” a reporter said, pronouncing it the wrong way. “you seem to be distracted today. is there something going on your mind?” 

“yeah. i met someone.” aleena watched noel’s dreamy grin overtake his face as he mentioned her and she felt an elbow in the shoulder as kelsey sidled up next to her.

“you hearing this, leens?” aleena ignored her friend’s comment, choosing to focus only on the bright honey of noel’s eyes, seeming even brighter in contrast to the redness.

“oh!” spock said, his eyes brightening with the knowledge of all the new questions he could ask. “i knew there was someone.”

“yeah, well, i don’t think she really knows how special she is.” noel confessed to everyone watching.

“you should get out there and win this race for her and she’ll know. then you drag her out of the crowd and declare your undying love for her in front of everyone.” spock laughed and clapped his hands repeatedly in front of him.

“that sounds nice, spockie. and i would do it, but she didn’t come.” 

spock opened his eyes in surprise and aleena’s heart shattered into tiny pieces.

“you suck, leens.” kelsey’s voice stabbed aleena’s conscience and tears flowed from her eyes. 

after the interview ended, aleena ran to the bathroom. she stayed there until the puffy redness that matched noel’s eyes went away. she joined kelsey after the race had gotten underway, and for the next three hours, aleena watched in misery as noel continually trailed his opponents, never gaining much advantage. 

the few bright spots in the race came when noel would stop in pit and they could see cody’s brown head of hair, fully dressed in miller motorsports gear, a huge smile on his face.

with only 20 laps to go, aleena was feeling responsible for noel’s loss. she hung her head in defeat, wondering how she would ever make this up to him. he wouldn’t want her now, not after this. she hit herself in the head repeatedly with the rhythm of her chant, _all you had to do was go,_ _all you had to do was go._

“hey, leens,” she heard kelsey call to her. “aleena!” she jerked her head from her hands when kelsey shouted her name.

“what?” 

kelsey held the phone out to her. “it's for you.” 

confused, when all of her friends and what she considered her family were in the same room with her, aleena took the phone. “hello?”

“ _aleena?_ ” she heard cody’s voice on the other end.

“cody?” she questioned, sending a confused look to kelsey.

“tell him you want to talk to noel,” kelsey whispered to her.

“what?” she said, shooting kelsey a confused look, none of this making any sense to her.

“cody has a head set. it’s wired straight to noel,” she said, motioning for her to catch on. her brain clicked and she shot up from her stool.

“cody! i need to talk to noel!” she spat out desperately.

“ _aleena, he’s driving a racecar, and i don’t want to die today, you can talk to him after-”_

“cody! listen to me, there may not be an after if you don’t let me talk to him right now! go!” she shouted at him, trying to keep her voice from getting too loud, but knowing cody’s density and the loudness of the place he was in, she didn’t want to take any chances.

“ _okay, here you go!_ ” he yelled back to her and aleena had to remove the phone from her ear for a second.

“noel,” aleena hesitated, not having had time to think through what she would say. “noel, i'm sorry i didn't come to the race with cody. it was the stupidest thing i've ever done, i know you can win, miller. we all know. now go make putty out of that douche.” hoping he heard everything she said, aleena thanked cody for his help and hung up the phone, looking to kelsey.

“why did you do that?” she asked her, grateful but confused.

“the heart wants what it wants, aleena, and everyone can see your heart,” she said sincerely, a sad grin taking over aleena’s face.

“thank you, kels,” aleena praised her, giving her a tight hug. she pulled away when cheers began to erupt from the bar, and turning towards the television she could see noel’s car slowly creep up to catch. a thrill shot through her at the thought that noel had heard what she said.

with one lap to go the two cars were neck and neck, everyone in the bar was on the edge of their seats chanting “miller,” at the tops of their lungs. noel’s car pulled in front just in time to cross the finish line, and the bar erupted into chaotic celebration as the checkered flags waved, ‘ _noel miller: winner'_ flashing across the screen.

noel slipped out the driver’s side window of his car and was rushed by the crew, cody making it to him first. he hugged noel and lifted him on the air. all eyes were on the tv watching the reporter make his way over to noel, waiting patiently for cody to set him down and the rest of the crew to provide space for him so he could interview noel a second time.

“miller! congratulations! you did it! what does it feel like to finally have the most prestigious award in the county?”

“it feels amazing, but not as amazing as knowing the woman of your dreams is waiting for you at home,” noel gushed amidst the continued cheers of the crowd.

“really? well, now mr. miller, what are you going to do now that you’ve won?”

“man, i’m running to palm springs” and with that, noel turned to walk away, leaving everyone with a dumbfounded expression. “mr. miller! what about your trophy?”

“mail it to me!” noel yelled over his shoulder, breaking into a run toward the exit, grabbing cody’s arm on the way, pulling him out the crowd.

aleena wiped the river of tears from her cheeks and eyes with the tissues kelsey had given her. when noel said he was coming back, she lost it, shocking everyone around her.

“you did it, leens. you got the racecar driver.” kelsey smiled happily as she watched aleena’s face light up.


	11. Chapter 11

noel got a private jet to get cody and himself back to palm springs after the race, and during the flight he received a call from the president, mr. desmond, saying he wanted to make him his client, he promised him fame and money, but noel knew he would only be feeding his power and wealth. so he was more than thrilled to be able to say no to his offer, letting the him know he would never be used or controlled.

it was almost 8 p.m. by the time they arrived at the bar looking for aleena, wanting to squeeze her tight to his body and never let go. he had replayed her words to him during the race over and over in his head, at least a thousand times, each one making his heart clench with emotion.

he hadn’t expected kelsey to be the only one at the bar when he walked in.

“noel! cody!” she exclaimed, a big smile on her face, she hurried to hug them and noel laughed as he was squeezed. “congrats!”

“thank you, kels,” noel smiled. he really wasn't expecting kelsey to hug him. “where’s-?”

“at the track,” kelsey interrupted with a smile.

“oh, good, well-" noel turned to remove himself from the hug, leaving cody and kelsey to their own, but she stopped him before he could get too far.

“hey, noel?”

“yeah?” noel answered as he turned back to face them, a foot already outside.

“be good to her. she's one of a kind.”

noel broke into a huge grin at her blessing. “wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said lightheartedly as he finally broke away, rushing to the track.

he found aleena sitting on the hood of her car, twirling something in her right hand, her chin resting on the left one. the moon casted an iridescent glow across her hair and skin.

noel was determined to sneak up on her, and he tiptoed the last twenty feet, trying hard not to crunch anything beneath his shoes, alerting to his presence.

he stood just behind her.

“hey,” he whispered into the night. aleena jumped off the car, startled and took a defensive stance, one noel hadn’t seen yet, until she recognized him.

“noel!” she squealed, running to him. she jumped up and wrapped her arms tight around his neck. he laughed happily as she planted kisses all over his face, pleased with her reaction. “how did you get here so quickly? i wasn’t expecting you for days,” she asked, pulling back just far enough to lock their eyes.

“we flew back. i didn’t want to be anywhere else,” he admitted. “just here with you.” aleena felt a happy weight settle on her chest. “did you mean what you said? on the headset?”

“of course i meant it,” she assured him. “i need you, noel,” aleena whispered, connecting her lips to his. 

the kiss began slow and steady, noel being certain to press and lick into aleena’s mouth. things got heated really fast as noel walked aleena backwards towards the car, lowering her onto the front of the hood, she clutched his collar possessively. it didn’t matter, he wasn’t going anywhere.

“we were interrupted last time,” aleena said, her voice muffled through noel’s insistent kisses. he groaned at her statement.

“were we?” he asked playfully, continuing to devour her mouth with his tongue. “i don't think i'll ever get enough of you,” he groaned in between kisses, making his way down her neck, stopping at the top of her breasts.

he looked up at her with questioning eyes, and she rewarded him with a sly smile. she reached up and began to unbutton her blouse. noel’s hands and eyes followed her motions, their hands met in a frenzy at the middle, popping the button off with the force of four hands doing the work. noel moved the fabric to the side, running his hands along her stomach and rib cage, groaning gratefully at her choice to not to wear a bra. 

aleena scooted further onto the hood propping herself up on her elbows, and noel crawled up to meet her, hungrily taking in the sight of her, bare before him.

“god, you're perfect.”

“hurry.” she breathed out the words and noel immediately felt them travel down his body.

“let me have this,” he said and she chuckled, easing some of the nervousness away.

noel took his time, savoring every inch of aleena’s graceful, toned body and loved finding the places that made her whimper in pleasure, overwhelmed by her scent and feel.

noel looked around, they were alone, with the world at their feet. the night shimmered in her hair, her soft skin glew under the moon. his lips dragged across aleena’s shoulder settling at the base of her neck, kissing and nipping, relaxing her as she enjoyed the scenery. 

“mhm,” aleena moaned under her breath leaning further into his embrace. her hands moved to his sides, pulling the thin fabric of his tshirt up to scratch his back.

“what do you need?”

aleena groaned, her arms snaking around his neck, her lips crashing into his. noel lifted her into his arms, covering her mouth further with his own as he kissed her hungrily. 

aleena’s legs wrapped around his waist, her fingers pressing at the back of his neck. with each flick of their tongues, they moved further back toward the vehicle until noel had aleena pressed against the door. 

her tongue teased his lower lip as he pulled back. “wish we could do this properly.”

“we haven't been doing anything properly.”

noel opened the door and laid aleena down on the spacious back seat, before climbing on top of her. 

she laughed. “you're right.” aleena’s fingers raked across his stomach and chest as she lifted his shirt over his head.

aleena smiled happily as she tugged his jeans down. she bit her lip, staring at him as he hovered over her.

noel’s lips captured hers. his hands roaming her body. piece by piece he removed her clothes, leaving a fiery trail of kisses and goosebumps. “good?”

“yeah. more.” aleena opened her legs wider, giving noel more room. he didn’t need an invitation. he began moving against her almost immediately, his hands pressed against the door for leverage. 

“noel,” aleena breathed, her back arching to meet him. 

noelg groaned in response. she lifted one of her legs up, resting it on his shoulder giving him access. 

“fuck, noel, go.” she almost screamed, her body pulsating as he filled her completely. her hands grasping at the seat searching for something to latch onto. finding nothing, her fingers dug into his back.

noel hissed, pressing deeper into her. “shit.” 

aleena dug her nails deeper into his skin, savoring the grunts and groans escaping his lips as his he began twitching inside her. 

her head lolled back, eyes falling shut, as he pushed her past the edge, waves of electric pleasure sparked through her body. she was no longer in control, she had completely given herself over to him. 

“aleena,” noel breathed as he thrust once more, before collapsing beside her. he pulled her into his arms shifting her on top of him as they recovered.

his thumb caressed her cheek, pushing strands of hair out of her face. “what have you done to me?”

“me? what about what you’ve done to me?” aleena laughed, pushing him playfully.

they lounged together in the car after a second round, naked and flushed, noel in the passenger seat and aleena cuddled in his lap, a light blanket lazily wrapped around them.

“so, what will you do now?” aleena asked, and noel could sense anxiety in her words.

noel tightened his hold around her shoulders in an effort to quell her fears.

“well, racing is still my dream, next race is in two weeks.” noel felt aleena tense. “you will always be home to me, i will be back.”

she sighed. “you'll stay with me?” aleena whispered anxiously. noel’s heart swelled with love.

“always,” he whispered back.

  
  



End file.
